Watch: Albanian Leader Punched In Face While Leading Protest

Albanian opposition leader Sali Berisha was punched in the face by a male bystander as he led a crowd of his party's supporters to central Tirana for anti-government protests taking place meters away from the venue of an EU summit.

Thousands of opposition supporters gathered in the city on Tuesday as Albania hosts its first EU-Balkans summit, attended by leaders of European Union member states, to protest against the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama and demand early elections.

As Berisha, who leads the centre-right Democratic Party, walked in front of his supporters waving Albanian and EU flags, a man approached him and punched him in the face.

Former Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition #SaliBerisha was physically assaulted in the #Protest that the Opposition is organizing today in #Tirana. A few meters away, the #EUWB #Summit is being held#Albania pic.twitter.com/MPpErZAASb

— Isa Myzyraj (@IsamyzyrajAlb) December 6, 2022

Berisha had blood on his face but was later due to speak at the rally.

The attacker was beaten by Berisha supporters and arrested by the police.

Berisha, a former president and prime minister, is banned from entering the United States over alleged corruption. He denies the charges.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)